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Formal Writing Assignments
- Assignments in Biology...............................................................................
- Assignments in Chemistry
- Assignments in Core....................................................................................
- Assignments in Dance..................................................................................
- Assignments in Geology
- Assignments in History
- Assignments in Music..................................................................................
- Assignments in Political Science
- Assignments in Psychology
- Assignments in Physics...............................................................................
- Assignments in Sociology............................................................................
Assignments in Biology
Avian Biology Writing Assignment 2 Department Memo Article: Stolzenburg, William. 1990. Seabird sales pitch. Science News 138: 136-139. Situation : You are employed as a conservation biologist for a state wildlife agency. In your state, Black Skimmers ( Rychops niger, a colonial breeding seabird) are listed as a threatened species, and you are in charge of their management plan. Black Skimmers typically nest on beaches, and the largest breeding colony in your state nests on a popular recreation beach. This colony experiences very little successful reproduction because of the repeated distur- bances by humans and domestic animals. Three years ago, as part of a management plan for this species, you arranged for the state to purchase a small offshore island and manage it for colonial nesting seabirds. The island appears to provide ideal Black Skimmer nesting habitat. Unfortunately, no Skimmers have nested on the island since it was purchased by the state. The newspapers are running articles about wasting money on an island Black Skimmers will not use, the governor’s office wants to see some results, and the Skimmer population keeps declining. You read an article in Science News about attracting colonial seabirds to new sites and decide to try this technique on your Skimmer population (they nest on the surface, not in burrows). Assignment : Write a one-page memo (maximum length) to your department outlining the proposed technique; explain why you want to spend department funds trying it, what will be required (manpower, materials, etc.), how you will evaluate the results, and set up a meeting to discuss your plans. Write in complete sentences and proofread.
Select a sufficiently narrowly defined problem to which you can respond adequately in 4- pages with an absolute maximum of 10 pages. “Pollution’” is clearly too broad; ‘“Pesticides” is probably too broad. “Alar and related chemicals” is more likely appropriate. Write your paper in such a way as to persuade a skeptical friend or relative of the soundness of your position You are to submit intermediate responses to this assignment on the schedule indicated: Oct. 5 topic and 1 major source of information Oct. 19 detailed outline and all major sources (for peer group discussion) Nov. 2 complete draft for peer review Nov. 16 completed paper due The final paper is to be presented in computer printed form. Accordingly, it is to your advan- tage that earlier drafts are also computer prepared. If you are not familiar with the use of computer in paper preparation, inquire at any of the campus computer stations, especially the Writing Center. There you can get some substantial assistance with preparation of your paper as well, if you wish. Grading of the paper will be accomplished with the following grid: Problem is well defined and clearly stated: 2 4 6 8 10 “Reality” or “non-reality” of the problem is well defended: 2 4 6 8 10 Solution to the problem is well conceived and supported: 2 4 6 8 10 Writing organization : 1 2 3 4 5 clarity and style: 1 2 3 4 5 grammar, usage, mechanics: 2 4 6 8 10
Assignment in Core
Core 101 H. WEST First Essay Guidelines
- The essays are to be 1200 - 1500 words (4 1/2 to 6 pages in length)
- They should have a common typeface (no bigger than 12-point, no smaller than 10-point), be double-spaced, and have one-inch margins.
- Do not put your name on the front of the essay. I do not want to know whose essay I am reading. After the last page of the essay put a blank page; then attach, backwards , a sheet with your name on it.
- Do not consult any sources other than the text ("Genesis") you are writing about. The point of the exercise is to work on interpreting by yourself.
- Your essays are due Tuesday, September 17, at 5:00pm in my mailbox in the History Department office. NOTE: They are not due at class time Monday. Remember, you have a reading assignment due then--budget your time carefully. Topic "Genesis" tells two stories of bitter rivalries between women--Sarah vs. Hagar, Rachel vs. Leah- -about which we would be hard put to say that the nicer lady wins. What meanings should we attach to these stories of female competition? What do they say about the Hebrews under- standing of themselves, of their relationship to God, and of women's roles in that relationship? Be sure that your analysis is based on close study not only of the women's relationships with each other, but of their relationships with their husbands and children and anyone else who enters their lives. Second Essay Guidelines
- 1200 - 1500 words in length
- Double-spaced, one-inch margins, 10-12 point typesize
- Blank sheet at the end, followed by name, etc., in reverse
- No consulting other sources
- Papers due Tuesday, October 3, at 5:00pm in my mailbox in the History Department Topic Write on ONE of the following:
- In one place (chapter 5, verse 44), in his gospel, Matthew has Jesus say, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." A few pages later (chapter 10, verse 34) he has him say, "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword." Convince me as best you can that this does not make Matthew's por- trayal of Jesus hopelessly contradictory. Be sure to base your case on a careful reading of the surrounding passages and on the whole book of Matthew.
- Both Jesus (Matthew 20:1-16) and Muhammed (pp 216-217) try to explain God's relation- ship to humans in parables of men taking care of vineyards. Compare and contrast these parables. How are they similar? How are they different? Which are more significant, the similarities or the differences?
Assignments in Core (continued)
Core 101, Section 25 Topic For Paper # Dr. Scott T. Allison In Civilization and Its Discontents , Freud states that it his intention “to represent the sense of guilt as the most important problem in the development of civilization and to show that the price we pay for our advance in civilization is a loss of happiness through the heightening of the sense of guilt” (p. 97). Compose a paper in which you (1) indicate what Freud means by this statement, and (2) compare and contrast how the following three individuals would respond to the statement: Macbeth, Rousseau, and Shostak. The first draft of this paper, worth 5% of your grade in this course, is due on Friday, November
- The paper should be no longer than 5 typed double-spaced pages in length. You will again meet with your Writing Fellow, who will provide your with written suggestions for improving your first draft. As with the last paper, you are in no way obligated to act on the Writing Fellow’s suggestions. The final draft of your paper, worth 10% of your grade in the course, is due in class on Wednesday, December 7. Please see me if you would like some guidance or feedback regarding this assignment. WRITING ASSIGNMENT, NO MORE THAN TWO TYPED PAGES, DOUBLE-SPACED It has been said that the gospels of Matthew and John were written for distinct audiences. Describe the type of person to whom you think each gospel would appeal. Identify two or three personality traits for each type of person, then support your claim by citing passages from the gospels. An effective essay will explain clearly how the passages you select are related to the personality traits you’ve identified. WRITING ASSIGNMENT, NO MORE THAN TWO TYPED PAGES, DOUBLE-SPACED React to ONE of the following pairs of quotes, incorporating at least two items of terminol- ogy from Nietzsche’s Genealogy of Morals into your reaction. Identify the pair you choose by typing the authors’ names at the top of your paper, e.g. Paul/Nietzsche.
Then everything includes itself in power, Power into will, will into appetite; And appetite, an universal wolf, So doubly seconded with will and power Must make perforce a universal prey, ... Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida It is the nature of desire not to be satisfied, and most men live only for the gratification of it. The beginning of reform is not so much to equalize property as to train the noble sort of natures not to desire
more, and to prevent the lower from getting more. Aristotle, Politics
A state is not a mere society, having a common place, estab- lished for the prevention of mutual crime and for the sake of exchange.... Political society exists for the sake of noble actions. Aristotle, Politics Who will attain anything great if he does not possess the strength and will to inflict great suffering? Being able to suffer is the least thing:... even slaves often attain mastery in that. But not to perish of inner distress and uncertainty when one inflicts great suffering and hears the cry of this suffering —that is great, that belongs to greatness. Nietzsche, The Gay Science
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Paul, Letter to the Romans ... that man be delivered from revenge, that is for me the bridge to the highest hope. Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra
In your introductory paragraph, identify the items from Nietzsche that you will be discussing. In the subsequent paragraphs, explain how these items are related to the pair of quotes you chose in a way that demonstrates your understanding Nietzsche’s ideas. I don’t expect you to develop a detailed argument leading to a conclusion, so you need not work to contrive a conclusion to your essay. FINAL PAPER FOUR - SIX TYPED PAGES, DOUBLE-SPACED The problem of how our society deals with criminal offenders has received much attention recently, particularly in Richmond where the number of murders per year per capita has climbed to among the highest in the nation. In your paper, discuss one of the following proposals which are either in place or under consideration in Virginia: mandatory sentencing, abolishment of parole, “three strikes you’re out” laws, or capital punishment. Issues of crime and punishment have been fairly prevalent in our Core Course readings thus far, so you’ll want to include rel- evant ideas from at least two and at most three of those readings in your paper (don’t use only Matthew , John, and Genesis ; that would not allow for enough perspective, I think). It seems likely that you’ll want to describe a purpose (or purposes) for the punishments related to the specific crimes you consider, and that you’ll want to take a position for or against the proposal you choose to discuss. Let me know if you have another plan for your paper.
x Please pay careful attention to the following directions, as I will return ungraded any essay that does not follow them. Use Times New Roman in 12-point font, and double space with one-inch margins. Professional presentation is expected. I cannot accept essays that are untitled, unstapled or missing page numbers, nor can I accept essays above or below the required length. Add a blank page at the end for my comments. Do not put your name on the front of your essay. I want to read all final essays anonymously. Put your name only on the back of the final page. x Computer problems are no excuse for late work. It is your responsibility to begin early enough to allow time to resolve them. For your own protection, always save your work frequently on both hard disk and diskettes. Keep paper copies as well. x Remember that our Writing Fellows are there to help you turn in your most polished work. You will be at a disadvantage if you do not make full use of their help. They have been instructed to help you express your ideas in language that is correct, clear, and coherent, not to evaluate your interpretations of the text. By the time your essay comes to me, it should be reasonably clear and coherent, and free of mechanical errors, so that I can focus my attention where it belongs: on your interpretation of the text and the originality, sophistication and cogency of your argument. Final Paper Due no later than 5pm, Wednesday, December 21 Choose ONE of the topics below for a 3 - 5 page paper.
- One of the five pillars of Islam is pilgrimage. Certainly the destination (Mecca) is impor- tant here, but I am interested not so much in the destination as in the journey itself. What part do journeys play in human experience? That’s a big question for a short paper, but perhaps you can reflect on this question and respond to it in light of two or three of the journeys about which we’ve read. The journeys of Milkman, Odysseus, Dante, Joseph and his brothers, Jesus, and even of Mahfouz’ narrator come to my mind as possibilities.
- From Adam’s naming of the animals in the Garden of Eden to the city councilmen’s inad- vertent naming of Not Doctor Street in Not Detroit, the question of what’s in a name and the issue of who has the power to assign names or to define terms surfaced in Nietzsche and stayed with us through the semester. Discuss (using two or three texts we’ve read) ways in which these issues are important to the human experience of both individuals and groups.
- Under a “black billowing cloud,” the people in episode 58 of Fountain and Tomb hold hands with strangers. It seems that humans may always be forced to respond to disasters (whether natural or man-made), in spite of Freud’s hope that civilization might relieve us of the burden of that experience. Here’s your chance to use the terms “libidinal ties” or “oceanic feeling” in a paper about human responses to disaster situations.
Assignments in Core (continued)
Dr. K. Hewett-Smith Core 102 Paper Assignment #2: Due Thursday, March 27, at the beginning of class Write a 6-9 page critical analysis in which you consider one of the following topics:
- Kuhn speaks of scientific "revolution" and Augustine of religious "conversion." How similar or different are their conceptions of intellectual transformation? Are these two words, as Kuhn and Augustine use them, interchangeable? Do they name models of change that are identical or significantly different?
- Kuhn describes major and fundamental transformations in the state of science in what might seem to be "unscientific" terms: departures from conventional logic, "leaps of faith," etc. Augustine, on the other hand, describes a major and fundamental transformation of a soul (his own) in what might seem to be "unreligious" terms: a rigorous process of logi- cal and empirical investigation that ultimately allows his mind to conceive God and God's creation in a rationally consistent way. Discuss the roles played by and the relationship between faith and reason in Kuhn's and Augustine's accounts of the transformation of knowledge.
Assignments in Dance
GUIDELINESDANCE RESEARCH PAPER
Here are a few things for you to include when writing your research paper. It is important for everyone to know these things that must be included, as this will save you time and hopefully extra work later. Make sure your topic is not too broad. Be sure to find a point of view and determine the purpose of your paper when researching a biography, historical event or piece of choreog- raphy. Don’t try to cover too much in a five-page paper. On the other hand be sure there is enough material to support the five-source, minimum five-page requirement. It is essential that you do preliminary reading in order to evaluate a topic for consideration. Some of the ways this can be done is by looking at the International Encyclopedia of Dance, INFO- TRAC, or going to the dance collection in the stacks at the library.
- Every paper must have a thesis, a single major point. It should provide the reader with the focus of the paper and serve as a unifying aspect of the paper. The thesis will help you see where you are heading with the paper. A good thesis often answers the ques- tions “How?” and/or “Why?” The thesis should be included in the research assignment/ bibliography, optional first draft and this statement may be revised as you write the paper but is must be stated as a single sentence in the introduction of the final draft.
- Make sure your paper is organized with a beginning, middle and end. The beginning should tell the reader from the onset where you are going. The middle then would be a review of literature, supporting the thesis. The end is a few concluding paragraphs, sum- marizing the paper’s main points very briefly, with a statement of conclusion.
- The style of the paper is important. This is a formal paper and it is should not be written in the first person. Do not use jargon and do explain terms not familiar to a general reader. Write the paper as if the reader is not a specialist on the subject.
- Make your title interesting. It should suggest your thesis. Include your title in the re- search assignment/bibliography, in the optional first draft and final draft/works cited. Refer to the MLA style section of Citing Sources on the library web page.
- All papers must be typed, double-spaced, and include the list of works cited. The paper should be standard twelve font using one-inch margins on all sides. Do not justify the right margin. Papers must be stapled in the upper left corner and the complete pledge must be written in full, signed and included on the title page. Since a title page is required it is not necessary to include title, name, date or course on the first page of text.
- Remember that five sources must be cited. Only list references actually cited, with the author’s name in alphabetical order. Make sure to document all sources, direct quotations, paraphrases and any information and ideas that are not your own. A minimum of 5 sources will be cited:
- At least 1 from the International Encyclopedia of Dance
- At least 1 journal article
- At least 1 book (hard text)
- At least 2 of your own choosing Be sure you use the MLA style. All information must be cited that is not common knowl- edge or your own ideas in the bibliography, which becomes Works Cited on the final draft.
- Use parenthetical citation (internal citation).
- How do you evaluate or rate a web site? Consider the following questions as you use various web pages on the Internet. Remember the currency, quality and the authority of any information resource is crucial. Do not believe everything you read. People can create fiction on computers as easily as they can in print or aural media. Who wrote or compiled the information? What is their authority to write or speak on this topic? Who is providing the information or sponsoring the web site? Do they have a vested interest in a particular point of view? How up-to-date is the information in the resource? How accurate is the information? How easy is it to search the web site?
- There is a lot of helpful information on the Libraries web page (richmond.edu/is/library). Use the How Do I...? link to find information on finding books, journals, full text, etc. Use the Citing Sources link to find examples of how to cite sources using MLA style. If you have any research questions, contact the library reference desk at x8669 or Lee Stevens at x or lstevens@richmond.edu. You can also find links to reference email and chat reference service on the library web page. If you need help with writing, be sure to contact the Writ- ing Center at x8935.
- Check your syllabus for the due dates of the topic, research assignment/bibliography, optional first draft and final draft/works cited.
- Only one person at a time may log onto the International Index to the Performing Arts. This is for the entire campus. Please be considerate and use this source in a timely man- ner. Also, because so many of you are using the International Encyclopedia of Dance at the same time, please be considerate and when you finish using them, return them to the shelves where you found them. If you cannot find certain materials, you may want to visit the V.C.U. library. You will be able to check out books from that library with a pass that can be obtained from the reference desk at the UR library.
Assignments in Geology
Writing Assignment Geology 540 - Geochemistry Four assignments will be due during the quarter.
- A 3-4 paragraph newspaper item describing what acid rain is and how it forms. Check Drever, Chapter 1. Also check Xerox copies of Chapter 10—Acid Rain, by Kenneth Mel- lanby—and Chapter 11—The Complexity of Surface Water Acidification by Acid Rain, by A.G. Everett—in Singer, S.F., ed., 1989, Global Climate Change : New York, Paragon House, 424 p. Xerox copies are in the mailbox. Paper is due Monday, 14 January.
- A short Department of Geology report (2-3 pages, double-spaced, typewritten, plus refer- ences) describing the general geology of the Bear River Range in Cache County, between Paradise and Richmond. Rough draft of paper due for peer review on Monday, 28 January; final draft due Monday, 4 February.
- A description of acid rain problems in the East, particularly acidification of lakes in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. Audience for this paper is your peers in this class (3-4 pages, typewritten, double spaced, plus references). Rough draft of paper due for peer review on Monday, 18 February; final draft due 25 February.
- A position paper for Cache County commissioners on the suitability of building a new coal- fired electrical generating plant with regard to its potential to acidify lakes, especially Tony Grove Lake and Bear Lake, in the Bear River Mountains. Final draft due 12 March, the last day of classes for the quarter, the day after our last day of class. You probably noticed that the second and third papers will have peer review. There will be three groups of three people set up as peer review groups. Each member of a peer review groups will review the papers of the other group members.
Assignments in History
How to Analyze a Document The craft of the historian turns around the analysis of the written remnants of the past. To do so properly, one must ask a series of questions about each document, about each grouping of documents, and, ultimately, about all the available remnants of an historical period. This all starts with the individual document. One of the aims of this course will be to teach you to critique documents in order to draw as much information as possible from them. When you do your weekly reading in the original sources you should ask of each document the following questions: when? where? who? why? what genre? for whom? what text? what language? (Detective novel fans will recognize these as the classic questions for eliciting truth in murder cases—historical evidence and legal evidence are much the same, which is why law schools often recommend training in history before entry into law school.)
- When was it written? If you can date it even approximately you will know important things about its context and meaning. For instance, in the Christmas story it says “Caesar Augustus ordered all the world to be taxed.” Although the gospels are not dated, we can infer a date for the story because we know when Caesar Augustus (Octavian) reigned. Add Herod and Pontius Pilate and we can come close to establishing when the events recorded took place. Of course there may be a difference between when the story occurred and when it was recorded. Both dates are very important. Again if we know the Gospel of Luke was written at least 60 years after Christ’s birth we can infer certain things about it, i.e. the author was not an eyewitness.
- Where was it written? Knowing where the author lived can help us understand the language, the form, and the content of a document. For instance, when Xenophon wrote about the constitution of King Lycurgus of the Spartans he did it in Athens. Had a Spartan written about his society it might have been a very different story. Of course if the author lives outside the society, you must ask how he or she got the information. When authors lives in society, we must ask about their gender, social status, opportunity for learning about things recorded, and the biases a native observer brings to their own culture.
- Who wrote it? Simply knowing an author’s name does us little good, but if we know something about the person from other sources we may learn more about the document. For instance, if you know that Machiavelli was a professional diplomat who had observed the French, Spanish, and Papal courts first hand and participated at a high level in the Florentine government, you understand The Prince much better. If we did not know that he was an active participant in politics we might dismiss the book as merely a piece of political theory rather than seeing it as distilled lessons from real life.
- Why was it written? No author writes without purpose, therefore, we need to know what the author hoped to accomplish by writing. The value of the document as evidence is directly related to purpose. Tacitus, for instance, wrote a book called Germania which tells us most of what we know about the German tribes beyond the borders of the Roman
How Your Document Exercise Should be Answered All eight questions should be asked of the document before you begin to answer the questions in the document exercise. Then you should respond to each question with one or two para- graphs (some questions may require less), in which you (1) supply an answer to the question and (2) prove your answer by reference to specific parts of the work under consideration. Your answer might look something like this one, written by a student in response to a docu- ment exercise on Martin Luther King’s “Letter from the Birmingham Jail.” Pay special attention to the way in which the “Letter” is used to prove her assertions.
- How did Rev. King understand what Christ expected of him? Martin Luther King states, “Just as the Apostle Paul... I too am compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my particular home town” (290). Through this one can see that he believes himself to be, like the apostles of the early church, called to spread the message of Christianity and its duty toward all people, no matter what color, to all parts of this country. Its negativity affecting the nation.
- He says, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Why? King considers the communities and people of the United States to be just that--united. He believes that their lives and well-being are inextricably connected and that disharmony in one area unbalances the harmony of the whole. Thus, although injustice, such as segrega- tion may only occur in one southern town or state, its repercussions will reach all those who are black, who are white, who value justice, who believe in Christian love, etc. because their beliefs and heritage are being threatened. Therefore, MLK states, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," meaning that anytime injustice occurs, it puts a crack in the system of justice which we as Americans sup- posedly base our foundations on which thus affects us all.
- How does he justify breaking the law through nonviolent protest? King justifies breaking the law with nonviolent protest by claiming there are two kinds of laws: just and unjust. A just law is in harmony with moral law, uplifts humanity, is not opposed to the law of God and is created by humanity. An unjust law is opposed to the law of God, and is created by the majority to control the minority without any say from them. Obviously, the laws of segregation fall under the unjust category. King claims that in oppos- ing an unjust law "openly, lovingly.. .and with a willingness to accept the penalty," hopefully bringing in justice to the awareness of the general public, a person is able to demonstrate the highest respect for law and the principles of justice on which it should be based.
Assignments in History (continued)
Book Review There are two required book reviews in this class. The first is on Brucker’s tale of a disputed marriage in 15th century Florence. The second is on Davis’s picture of domestic life in late 16th century France. The reviews will be worth 50 points each. They should follow the standard format for scholarly reviews in history. That is, the review should begin with a full citation of the work under consideration (name of the author, title of the book, place of publication, publisher, date of publication, number of pages). It should be no more than 700 words in length (2 1/2 typewritten double-spaced pages). It should use formal English (no contractions, please), and if the book is quoted the number of the page on which the quotation appears should be inserted in parentheses after the quotation. Any good book review asks and answers a number of questions
- What is the thesis of the book? (Why did the author write it? What does he want to prove?)
- How does the author prove the thesis? (What evidence is used? What is the style of argu- ment?)
- Does the author prove the thesis? (Is the argument logical? Does the evidence used actu- ally say what the author claims?)
- Is the book well written? (This goes beyond style, which is important, to structure. Has the author put it together in a way that can be followed? Are his sentences clear? Do his paragraphs flow together in a logical fashion?)
- Who is the author? Does he or she have the learning to make sense of the evidence? (This sounds snobbish but it is important if you want to establish the credibility of the argument. Would you trust an argument from an author that cannot read the languages in which the evidence is written? One who has a political agenda in reading history? Be aware that there are many scholars who impose their politics on the texts. Marxists are easy to spot, right wing authoritarians less so. Political points of view often help us see things in new ways, but the reviewer has the duty to warn the reader of the author’s prejudices. And would you trust one that has a religious agenda? Religious agendas are particularly visible in reformation history where for centuries there have been Catholic and Protestant camps of historians firing broadsides at each other). It is sometimes hard to establish who the author is, but the book will normally give you hints. Who’s Who , the Guide to American Scholars , and other reference works can help you. Lastly, find out about the press. A work published by a university press has been through a fairly rigorous peer review pro- cess before a decision was made to publish it. Books published by religious and political presses need not inspire such confidence.
